Government-Politics
Volunteer-Powered I-194 Overcomes Opposition from Montana’s Most Powerful Corporate Interests to Win With at Least 65% of the Vote
HELENA — In a historic victory for voters over powerful corporate interests, Montanans have overwhelmingly approved Initiative 194, The Montana Plan, with at least 65% of the vote, affirming a fundamental principle: elections should belong to voters, not corporations or wealthy special interests.
The victory caps a remarkable grassroots campaign that saw more than 700 Montanans volunteer to collect over 50,000 signatures across all 56 counties in the state, making I-194 the first all-volunteer signature gathering effort since before Citizens United. Despite opposition from some of the state’s most powerful special interests—including the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Montana Mining Association, and the Montana Petroleum Association, which unsuccessfully challenged the initiative in court to try and halt signature gathering—ordinary Montanans prevailed.
“We were up against some of the biggest special interests in Montana, and today, the people of Montana have won,” said Jeff Mangan, founder and president of the Transparent Election Initiative. “They had high-powered corporate lawyers and powerful industry associations. We had hundreds of volunteers, small business owners, and Montanans who believed their elections should belong to them. And together, we proved that ordinary people can still take on multinational corporations and win.”
The initiative drew support from across the political spectrum and from communities throughout Montana, winning by double digits in towns from Miles City to Lewistown to Hamilton to Conrad. Its passage marks a rare bipartisan victory on an issue that has frustrated voters for decades.
“I don’t know if dark money helps Republicans or Democrats, but I do know it doesn’t help democracy,” said former U.S. Senator Jon Tester. “This result came from people at kitchen tables and in offices in small businesses across the state who decided the system needed to answer to them. That’s how Montana has always done its best work, and that’s what I-194 is meant to do.”
The effort marks another chapter in Montanans’ long history of taking on corporate power that seeks to outweigh public voice, from the Copper Kings to the Corrupt Practices Act of 1912. The Montana Plan continues that tradition and marks a new era for the state and the voters at a time when the overwhelming majority of young Americans believe money in politics is a big issue.
“Montanans have never been shy about protecting their way of life from outsiders interfering in their business, and this result reaffirms that,” said Marc Racicot, the 21st Governor of Montana and former Chair of the Republican National Committee. “Dark money is often corporate money that migrates and slithers in serpentine fashion from corporations to a variety of
third-party groups. What I-194 does is essentially cut off the head of the snake and put accountability and transparency back at the center of our elections.”
For the volunteers who spent months knocking on doors, gathering signatures, talking with neighbors, and making the case for reform, the victory represents the culmination of an extraordinary citizen-led effort.
“I run a business here, and I never felt it was right for our elections to depend on who had the biggest corporate checkbooks,” said Meredith Printz, a Missoula resident, small business owner, and one of the founders of Missoula Gives. “I vote, I talk to my neighbors, and I give personally. I’m proud that Montanans chose to bring our elections back to those values.”
The implications of Montana’s vote extend far beyond the state’s borders. The Transparent Election Initiative has already begun working with organizers across the country to bring The Montana Plan to other states, giving voters elsewhere the same opportunity Montanans had to take on corporate and dark money in their elections.
“Tonight is a historic victory, but we know the fight isn’t over,” said Mangan. “The same powerful interests that tried to stop us from getting on the ballot aren’t going to give up now. We’re prepared to defend what Montanans voted for in the courts, in the legislature, and even by bringing this back to voters as a constitutional amendment in 2028. And we’re already working to take The Montana Plan nationwide, so voters in every state know that they can take on dark money and special interests and win. This is just the beginning.”
ABOUT THE TRANSPARENT ELECTION INITIATIVE
The Transparent Election Initiative is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring democratic integrity by eliminating corporate and dark money influence in elections through reform and public education. The organization works nationwide, starting in Montana and expanding to dozens of states across the country. Learn more at transparentelection.org.
ABOUT THE MONTANA PLAN PAC
The Montana Plan PAC is a Montana ballot initiative committee formed to support I-194, “The Montana Plan,” in the November 2026 election. The campaign is working to end corporate and dark-money political spending in Montana elections by restoring a clear principle: elections should be decided by real people, not by corporations, LLCs, unions, nonprofits, or other artificial persons spending treasury funds to support or oppose candidates or ballot measures. The Montana Plan PAC leads the campaign to pass I-194 through voter education, coalition-building, volunteer engagement, and public outreach across Montana. Learn more at montanaplan.org.